British rising star Callum Ilott secured the prestigious 2014 CIK-FIA KF European Karting title this weekend after victory in the final round of the championship at PF International Circuit in Lincolnshire. Ilott, 15, trailed Danish rival Nicklas Nielsen going into the weekend but with controlled race wins in both the Prefinal and Final, he justifiably claimed one of the most difficult and hard fought karting titles on offer. The KF series, for 125cc karts, is the second CIK-FIA championship the Zanardi Strakka team has won this year after karter Rick Deezen was crowned KZ gearbox class champion in early August. For Callum, the CIK-FIA title follows the WSK Super Master Series he also scooped this year.
“Callum is a very special talent and he richly deserved this title blending searing pace and strategy throughout the championship,” says Strakka’s team principal Dan Walmsley. “Callum is intelligent and fast and we are very privileged and proud to be both working with him and win this title against some very strong drivers.
"Becoming European Champion is a great win for me personally and reflects the dedication and support I have enjoyed from Zanardi Strakka Racing," explains Ilott. "We've integrated really well as a new team, there's a good chemistry and it shows with us now winning both the KF and KZ CIK-FIA European titles."
The Zanardi Strakka kart team, created in 2014, forms part of Strakka Racing’s overall strategy to offer young race drivers a stable and secure environment to progress their careers, notably at the key stage from karting through to professional single seater racing. With a Formula Renault 2.0 squad also joining its FR3.5 team this year, an in-house Performance Centre together with retained driver and fitness coaches, Strakka Racing is aiming to go beyond the support and infrastructure offered by any other race team with an environment that enables drivers to consistently do their very best. “Callum tested the Strakka FR2.0 car as he decides about that crucial step into single seater racing,” adds Walmsley. “He is exactly the sort of talented driver that Strakka wants to work with and support. He’s a real racer, mature and as he demonstrated this weekend, copes brilliantly with the pressure on and off the track.”